Electric speed-governor for water-wheels



(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

G. M. LEE.

ELECTRIC SPEED GOVERNOR FOR WATER WHEELS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1888.v

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. M. LEE. ELECTRIC. SPEED GOVERNOR FOR WATER WHEELS. No. 392,679.

Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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m: PETERS. mmmw m UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrc GEORGE MILES LEE, OE LITTLE FALLS, NE\V YORK.

ELECTRiC SPEED-GOVERNOR FOR WATER VVEZEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,679, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed July 50, 1898.

To alZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE MiLEs LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Speed-Governors for later-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric speed-governors for water-wheels; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of an electric speed-governor embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism for controlling the gate. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical end elevation of the governor apparatus.

A represents a base plate or frame from which, at a suitable distance apart, rises a pair of vertical standards, 13, which have bearings O in their upper ends. Journaledin the said bearings is a horizontal shaft, D, which is pre vented from moving endwise by means of collars E, that are secured thereto by set-screws F and bear against opposite ends of one ofthe bearings 0.

Near one end of the shaft D is a worm, G, which rotates with said shaft and engages a worm-wheel, E, that is secured to a vertical shaft, 1. Thelatter is adapted to be secured to and adapted to move a water-gate, (not shown,) so as to cut 0d and to regulate the supply of water to the water-wheel. (Not shown.)

Secured to the center of the shaftD is a collar, K.

L M represent a pair of pulleys, which are loosely mounted on the shalt D and have their hubs bearing against opposite sides of the collar K. On the outer sides of said pulleys, and preferably formed integrally therewith, are friction-pulleys N 0, respectively. Collars P are rigidly secured to the shaft D, and bear against the outer sides of the pulleys LM and serve to prevent the latter from moving 1ongitudinally on the shaft.

R represents a friction pulley, which is feathered on the shaftD and is adapted to engage the pulley N. The hub of said pulley R Serial No. 281,421. (No model.)

is provided with an annular groove,S, in which is fitted an annular rim or collar, T.

U represents afriction-pulley, which is similar to the pulley E, is likewise feathered to the shaft D, and is adapted to engage the friction-pulley O. In other words, the frictionpulleys constitute clutch devices, which are adapted to lock the pulleys L M to the shaft D. The hub of the frictioirpulley II has an annular groove in which is fitted an annular collar, V.

W represents a horizontal arm, which is bolted to and projects inward from one of the standards B, and X represents a similar arm, which projects from the other standard An armature-lever, Y, is fulcrumed centrally to the bifurcated inner end of the arm XV, and has its upper end bifurcated or forked and pivotally connected to the collar T. A similar armature-lever, Z, is fulcrumed to the arm X and has its bifurcated upper end pivotally connected to the collar V.

A represents an clcctro-magnet, which is mounted on the base A, and is adapted to attract the lower end of the armaturelever Y.

B represents a similar clectro-magnet,which is adapted to attract the lower end of the armature-lever Z. Retracting-springs O and D are connected to the lower ends of the armature-levers Y and Z, respectively, and to arms E, which project from the base at a point midway between the clectro-n'iagnets.

The mechanism hereinbefore described constitutes the rack-levers for controlling the gate. I will now proceed to describe the governor apparatus proper.

F represents a suitable inclosing-case,which has a shelf or ledge, G, at a suitable distance from its bottom. Secured on the center of the saidshelf or ledge is a standard, H, which has a horizontal arm or sleeve, I. Swiveled in the said standard is a vertical sleeve, K, which has a miter-wheel, L, that engages a similar wheel, M, secured to the inner end of a shaft, N, that is journaled in the sleeve or arm 1. To the outer end of said shaft, which projects through the rear side of the inclosing-case, is keyed a pulley, O, which is rotated by an endless belt from a countershaft, (not shown,) which is geared to and operated by the water-wheel.

P epresents avcrticalgovcrnor-shaft,which ICO is feathered in the sleeve K, and is thereby adapted to rotate with the said sleeve and to play vertically therein. To the upper end of the said governor-shaft is secured a head or collar, R.

S represents a pair of flat springs, which connect the head or collar It with the upper end of the sleeve K, and are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the governorshaft. To the central portion of the said springs are secured governor-balls T.

U represents a vertically movable rod, which has its upper end secured to the vertically-movable governor-shaft, and passes through [5 a bearing,V, on the center of the base of standard H, and through an opening in the shelf or ledge G, and to the lower end of the said rod is secured a disk, V, which is made of non-conducting material.

X represents a hanger, which depends from the shelf G at a distance from the rod U.

Y represents a similar hanger, which depends from the said shelf and is arranged much nearer the said rod U. A vertically- 2'5 adjustable conducting-screw, Z, engages a bearing in the shelf G, and extends through the same at a point between the rod U and the hanger X, and is provided at its lower end with a platinum contact-point. A similar adjnstable conducting-screw, A engages a hearing in the shelf and passes through the same at a suitable distance from the outer side of the hanger Y, which islikewise provided with a platinum point at its lower end.

3 5 It will be observed by reference to Fig. at

that the hanger Y is between the rod U and conducting-screw A and that the conductingscrew Z is between the rod U and the hanger X.

B represents a contact-lever or circuitcloser, which is fulcrumed at a suitable distancerfrom its outer end to the lower end of the'hanger X, and has its longer end bearing ;*against the lower side of the non-conducting 5 disk V, the said circuit-closing lever being normally maintained in this position by a spring, 0.

D represents a similar circuit-closing lever, which is fulcrumed at a slight distance from its inner end to the lower end of the hanger Y, engages the non-conducting disk W with its shorter inner end, and is held normally in this position by a spring, E?, with which it is provided. The said contact-levers D and 13' are provided with platinum points or studs which are adapted to engage the platinum points of the conducting-springs, and arranged under the outerend of the contact-lever D is a stop-screw, F, which is supported by a bracket, G.

H represents a bracket depending from the lower side of the shelf or ledge G, to the lower end of which is pivoted an intermediate point of the safety-lever K one end of which nor- 6 5 mally bears against the hook-shaped contact- The pulleys L M are connected to acountershaft, which is geared to the water-wheel, and are rotated thereby in opposite directions at all times when the water-wheel is in operation.

The terminals of the coils of the electromagnet A are connected with the hanger X and screw Z by means of conductors a a. At an intermediate point of the conductor a is introduced a battery, 0, and between the battery and the screw Z the conductor is divided, and the free ends thus formed are connected, respectively, to the bracket H and the contact-point L", and whereas the lever K is normally in contact with the contact-point L the circuit is usually intact at this point. The terminals of the coils of the electromagnet B are connected to the hanger Y and the conductingscrew A by the conductors b b. The conductor b is divided at a suitable point, and its ends are connected to the wire a, respectively, between the electro-magnet A and the battery c and between the contact-point L and the screw Z. Thus it will be seen that the battery 0 is in the circuit a a and also in the circuit 1) I), and the safety devices, which comprise the lever K and the point L are also in both circuits. The two wires which extend from the battery are, in effect, branched at the points d and d, the wires proceeding from the branch d extending, respectively, to the magnets A and B, and the wires proceeding from the .branch d extending, respectively, to the con tact-screws A and Z, while the safety device is introduced at an intermediate point of one of the wires which extend from the battery and between the battery and the branch (1. When the water-wheel is running at normal speed,the governor-shaft is maintained atsuch an elevation by the governor-balls as to cause the disk W to support the circuit-closers l3 and D out of contact with the conducting screws, and thereby open both the electric circuits a'and b. lVhen the speed of the water-wheel is increased to an undesirable extent, the governorballs are moved from each other by centrifugal force, and the governor springs or arms serve to lower the governor-shaft, so as to cause the disk W, by depressing the shorter arm of the circuit-closer D", to cause the same to come in contact with the screw A", and thereby close the circuit b, which obviously passes through the safety device when the magnet 13 is excited and caused to attract the lower end of the armature -lever Z, and said lever being connected to the friction pulley or clutch to engage the wheel M and lock the same to the shaft D and rotate the shaft I, and thereby partly close the water-gate and hence reduce the supply of water to the water-wheel. When the speed of the water-wheel decreases, the governor-balls cause the governor-shaft to move upward, as will be readily understood, so as to raise the inner end of the circuit-closer B and cause the same to come in contact with the screw Z, and thereby close the circuit a. This causes the electro-magnet A to be excited and attract the water-wheel.

armature-lever Y, so as to engage the friction pulley or clutch R with the pulley L, which is running in the opposite direction from the pulley M, and thereby lock said pulley L to the shaft D, and consequently rotate the said shaft D in the opposite direction and cause the worm-gear G H to turn the shaft I, so as to open the water-gate to an increased extent, and thereby increase the supply of water to the If, however, during the operation of the water-wheel the belt should slip from the pulley which operates the governor or should break, or any of the other parts of the device should give away, the governor-rod will be raised forcibly by the action of the spring S, and the disk WV will strike the free end of the safety-lever K, thereby breaking the circuit and maintaining it open. It is obvious that the upward movement of the governor-rod will thus break both the circuits at a and b b.

It will be observed from the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that only one battery is employed to operate both keys or circuit-closers, and when one of the circuits (for instance, the circuit a a) is closed the other circuit is entirely unaffected, and the current passes through the electro-mag'net A and the safety device in the manner described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combinatiomin an electric governor, of the shaft D, the loose pulleys revolving in opposite directions thereon, the clutch devices adapted to lock the said pulleys to said shaft, the armature levers to operate said clutch devices, the governor having the vertically-movable rod, the electric circuits having the electro-maguets'adapted to attract the armatnres,and the circuit-closers adapted to be operated by the governor-rod, substantiall y as described.

2. The combination of the shafts D I, the gearing connectingthesaidshafts,theloosepulleys on shaft D, the clutch devices adapted to engage said pulleys and to lock the same to the said shaft, the armature-levers connected to said clutch devices, the electro-magnets to attract said armature-levers, the conductors and batteries, one or more, connected to said electro-magnets, the circuit-closers in circuit therewith, and the centrifugal governor having the movable rod adapted to engage and operate the said circuit-closer, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the centrifugal governor having the vertically-movable rod U, the conducting-screw Z, the pivoted circuiteloser B, adapted to make contact with said screw and engaging the rod U, the circuitcloser D", also engaging the said rod, and the contact-screw A adapted to be engaged by the said circuit-closer, substantially as described.

at. The combination of the shaft D, provided with the loose pulleys L M, the clutch devices to lock said pulleys to the shaft, the armature-levers connected to the said clutch devices, the electro-magnets to attract the armature-levers, the conductors and batteries connected to the said electro-magnets, the circuit-closers in circuit therewith, the safety device comprising the lever K and the contact-point L in circuit with the batteries,and the governor provided with a movable rod adapted to operate the circuit-closers and the cut-out lever K substantially as specified.

5. In an electric governor, the combination of the shaft D, provided with the pulleys, the clutch devices to lock the said pulleys to the shaft, the armature-levers to operate the clutch devices, the electro-magnets to attract the armature-levers, the circuit-closers connected by suitable conductors with the electromagnets, the battery provided with branched wires which are connected,respectively,to the electro-magnets and the circuit-closers, the safety device in circuit with both eleetro-magnets, and the centrifugal governor provided with a movable rod to engage and operate the circuit-closers and the safety device, snbstantially as specified.

6. In an electric governor, the combination of the shaft D, provided with loose pulleys, the clutch device to lock the pulleys to the shaft,the armature-levers to operate the clutch devices, the circuit-closers, the electro-magnot A, provided with the conductors a a, which are connected to one of the circuitclosers and also include in the circuit a bat tery, c, the clectro-magnet B, provided with the conductors b b',which are connected to the other circuit-closer, the conductor 2) being intereepted by the wires proceeding from the battery Z ,whereby the said battery is included in the circuit therewith, and the centrifugal governorprovided with a movable rod which is adapted to engage and operate the circuitclosers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MILES LEE. lVitnesses:

M. G. BRONNER, L. O. BUCKLIN. 

